Who we are - What we do

The phosphorus chemistry Division was founded in 2019 and currently has around 250 members. It consolidates and raises the profile of the many activities in phosphorus chemistry that are strongly represented in Germany and Europe. While not directly associated with specific names, the chemistry of heavy homologues of phosphorus has played an important role from the outset and is always considered.

phosphorus chemistry is closely linked to chemical research in Germany in many respects. The element was discovered in Hamburg in 1669 by Hennig Brand, a German apothecary and alchemist who actually wanted to find the philosopher's stone. The phosphorus chemiluminescence that occurred during the discovery, after its demystification as the "Mitscherlich test" (by Eilhard Mitscherlich, 1794-1863), found its way into forensic chemistry and thus established an important branch of the systematic investigation of criminal acts.

Phosphorus is also known for its diverse allotropes, of which white, red, black, and violet phosphorus have long been recognized. White phosphorus ( _P₄ ) is the modification that represents the product of large-scale industrial production. In research, the high reactivity and molecular structure of _P₄ are highly valued; for example, phosphorus-rich molecular compounds can be constructed through functionalization. Numerous relationships exist between phosphorus and its heavier homologues: arsenic, antimony, and bismuth, which are gaining increasing importance in materials science and catalysis. Therefore, the Division also focuses on the chemistry of the heavy elements of Group 15.

Phosphorus compounds are essential for all biological organisms, as they are components of elementary biomolecules and, in the form of nucleotides, secondary messengers, and phosphorylations (post-translational modifications of proteins), are responsible for fundamental cellular mechanisms. Phosphorus compounds are also important building blocks in molecular probes used in chemical biology and modern pharmaceuticals, and are therefore central to medicinal chemistry. The hepatitis C drug sofosbovir, which is based on the development of a nucleotide analog and thus a phosphorus(V) compound, serves as a prime example.

Phosphorus compounds are indispensable in inorganic and organic synthetic chemistry, whether in the Wittig reaction, the Staudinger reaction, the Arbusov and Michaelis-Arbusov reactions, the Mitsunobu reaction, or the Horner-Wadsworth-Emmons reaction, as organocatalysts, or as multifunctional phosphine ligands, including chiral ligands in metal complex catalysts. Phosphorus is also an important element in solid-state chemistry and materials science , for example, in light-emitting diodes, steels, and even matches. Phosphorene (a relative of graphene) is a new and interesting two-dimensional material that has gained increasing interest in recent years, including among German phosphorus chemists. Last but not least, phosphorus compounds play a crucial role in the chemical industry, for example, as drying agents (e.g., phosphorus(V) oxide), in flame retardants, additives, plasticizers, and pesticides, or as phosphate in fertilizers.

Short link to this page: www.gdch.de/phosphorchemie